Finding Me (Formerly Gazze's Story)
by Asia
Summary: uhm, I don't wanna write a summary!!! Okay, she belongs to two members of the negaverse, but they don't want her to be evil, so they give her to Darien to take care of and now she's finding out that they're actually her parents
1. Chapter One, Part One: Dreams

I looked up as Darien, the closest thing to a father I could ever remember, walked into the room.   
"What's the matter, Gazze?" He sat down on the edge of the bed, his eyes questioning.   
"I had a dream, that frightened me," I explained.  
"I see, you look pretty nervous."  
I hesitated, unsure whether or not he wanted me to continue. "There was a lady," I began, " whose skin melted off her face like wax. And there were two other people, they seemed to be related to me, or I knew them at least. I wanted to turn to them when the ugly woman attacked me, but when I tried to, they turned away, the pretty woman was crying. Then the ugly woman pounced on my and stabbed me with her fingernail."  
Darien nodded and looked down. "Well," he said, "that is…odd."  
"I'll just go back to sleep then, good night," I murmured as I snuggled under the covers. Darien nodded and stared away, thinking, in that cute way he does. He walked out of the room and I laid awake, listening to his footsteps recede down the hall.  
I woke up early the next morning, earlier than usual. You see, I like to watch the sunrise over the city. It's so beautiful. But that morning, I woke long before the sun, even before Darien, so I thought.  
I walked down the stairs into the kitchen to get my usual cup of black coffee. When I got there, I found my assumption about Darien to be incorrect. The pretty woman from my dream was there. She turned to face me and her breath caught in her throat. A tear glistened in her eye and she started to walk towards me.  
Then she shook her head, as if to clear away a thought, and turned back to Darien. For a second, I couldn't tell what she was doing, but then it hit me. She was stealing his pure heart!   
Suddenly, my friend Mina's white cat, Artimis, bounded in.   
"Yell Veyl Star Power!" He shouted at me. I obeyed and there was a blinding flash of light as black flames surrounded me. I fell to the ground and found myself in a orchid and burgundy Sailor Senshi outfit.   
"Holy Cow!" I looked down at my get-up, "What do I do now?" I screamed at Artimis. Before the white cat could reply, Sailor Moon burst into the room. She gasped in surprise when she saw me as a Sailor Senshi.  
"So you're the tenth," She muttered.  
"Yes, I believe she is." Luna, Serena's black cat and Artimis' mate, confirmed.  
"Tenth what?!" I asked, already thoroughly confused with the whole situation.   
"You're the tenth Sailor Scout." Luna explained.  
"You're going to bring balance to the inner and outer scouts." Added Artimis.  
"Okay," my voice quivered with nerves, "so what do I do?"  
"Yell something." Serena quipped.  
I closed my eyes and thought for a few moments. "Gem Stone Psychedelic Wave!" I screamed with all my might and put my fingers in front of my face in a peace sign. I beam of coloured light burst forth from the gem in my tiara. The pretty woman fell back, paused for a moment, and then got up and ran away.  
I stared after her for a few seconds, until Darien started to come around. I rushed over to him.   
"Darien!" I began to change into my normal self as I ran, "Who was that?! She looked like the lady from my dream!"  
"That," Luna informed me, "was Zoicite."  
"So that's her name," I murmured.  
"OOO, you have dreams about her, that's prob'ly bad!" Serena shivered.  
"Stop it!" Artimis ordered, "There's a perfectly good explanation for all of this."  
"There is?!" Serena and I said in unison.  
"Of course there is," Darien sat up and rubbed his head, "I'll explain all this later," He looked up at Serena and smiled, "Thank you Sailor Moon," Serena nodded and walked out of the room, for once being semi-mature, with Luna and Artimis on her heels, "And you, Gazze, need to get to school."   
"Oh, yeah," I climbed up the stairs to my room and put on my school uniform, just then realizing that I hadn't had any coffee. I grabbed my book bag and rushed out the door, saying something about getting something on the way to school.  
On the way, I saw Hitaru. By all logic, we should have been the best of friends, or at least friends somewhat, I was lonely and she was new. She didn't seem to want any friends though. She was quiet and quite introverted. She was also rather strange.  
I had heard people whispering about her habits, what she wore, her family; everything about her was seemingly odd. She always wore long sleeves and tights, no matter how hot it was. She never wore make-up or did her hair or even wore jewelry. She was Professor Tomoe's daughter, but, according to the other girls, he wasn't very loving. She was taken care of by a woman named Keiori, who watched over her unnaturally overprotectively, as if her life depended on it.   
I wouldn't have minded being her friend. My own best friend had died in a motorcycle accident the year before and no one else wanted to be friends with a silver haired freak.  
I remember when I was told that it was my hair everyone hated me for. It was in third grade, I must have thought I was the prettiest thing on earth. I wore my waist long hair in tons of different styles. Then, one day, a few whispered words, and my world was shattered. I was devastated to do it, but the hair had to go.  
I prob'ly spent half of my Momo-Chan's (I just LOVE that pet name for him) paycheck on hair dyes of every colour, except black. If I had to dye my hair, it would NOT be black.   
I really wanted blonde hair, bright yellow, like Mina's. But alas, I would get no yellow locks; all the dyes washed out. They, the next logical step was to cut it off, maybe if it wasn't so long, it wouldn't be so offensive. Of course, Lita, Haruka, Michuru, and Setsuna ALL had to come over and see this wonder, although Michuru would be the only one doing the cutting. But, the cutting to, was of no avail, my hair simply wouldn't cut! I know I sound insane, but it's true.   
So I was stuck with long, silver hair, like some half-human-half-water nymph. I tried to make the best of it though. I pulled my hair back and brushed it, but otherwise, I tried to ignore it, childishly hoping that it would just go away. Obviously, it didn't and I was miserable. Until, on the last day of school, a new girl appeared in the doorway of our class room. She had light blue-green hair that was tied in two braids that went down to her shoulders. She was wearing the normal school uniform, but there was a light red sash tied round her waist. Her name was Surka.  
She didn't seem to mind that my hair was and odd shade of silver, or that I was terrible in gym class, or that I would rather be writing or singing than running about with a bunch of people. And I didn't mind that she raced motorcycles like a boy, another of my few friends, Haruka, did the same, and I didn't mind that she was a sprinter and couldn't run very far, or that her parents lived a million miles away and only sent her money when she absolutely needed it, and sometimes not even then, or that she cursed, or that she often got in trouble, or even that she constantly talked about death. We just accepted eachother for what we were and didn't try to change anything.  
But she was gone and I could do nothing about it. 'Cept mourn and withdraw myself from everyone. Well, almost everyone, for a long time, the only people who could get a word out of me were Haruka and Darien…  
But enough sad things, I'd better get back to the story. So I got to school as the late bell was ringing and ran into my first hour class. English, my favourite, was first, then math, which I hated then and still do, then History, which bored me terribly and I really disliked it, then gym class. I HATE gym class, I'm terrible at it and I really don't like sports or anything that had to do with gym at all. Then, finally, some time to myself, lunch. I was sitting outside, eating my lunch, when Haruka walked up. She sat down beside me on the ledge.   
"I talked to Darien," She began, "about what you did, to save him."  
"Mm…" I looked up and met her eyes, "Who was that, I mean, I know her name, but I want to know more about her."  
"Ah, Darien wanted to tell you and he can much better. I was only a girl when the whole thing happened."  
"Fine then," I smiled, "How many classes are you missing to do this?"  
"Uhm, can I plead the fifth?"  
"Yeah, you don't REALLY learn anything in chemistry, right?"  
Haruka turned a deep shade of red, "How'd you know?"  
"I have my sources."  
"Okay then, whelp. I'd better go." The older girl stood up to leave and set her hand on my head, she stood there for a moment, seemingly thinking. "Good bye then." Haruka turned round and walked off, leaving me alone with my thoughts. But, being alone is bad for your mental health, so I went back in rather quickly. I spent the rest of the day in a state of deep thought, although going through the movements of the day, I wasn't really there.  
I moment the final bell rang, I ran out the door of the school and all the way home.  



	2. Chapter One, Part Two: Revelations

"Darien, oh Daarieeen!" I called as I burst through the front door. "Darien, where are you?" He walked out of the kitchen wearing an apron and a chef's hat. "I made cookies!" He exclaimed, obviously rather proud of himself.   
"That's, ah, wonderful." I'm afraid my reply wasn't as sincere as I intended it to be. I walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table, noticing the cookie bough splattered about on the walls. 'I'll prob'ly have to clean that up, too' I thought. I was so perplexed at how one man could make such a mess in less than one hour, that I didn't realize Darien had come in and sat down across from me. "  
"I'm sure you'd like some sort of explanation for all this." I looked up, rather startled.  
"Well, that would be nice." I wasn't quite sure if he meant the mess or the whole Zoicite ordeal, but either way, I wouldn't mind. Darien looked about, apparently trying to figure out where to start. "How do you think of me, in relation to you?" He said abruptly.   
All of the sudden, my mind was a whir. What Did I think of him as? Darien had always been everything. He was the one to encourage me, the one to help me laugh at my self, the one to listen to me, and care about me. He had been friend, healer, diary, teacher, cheering block, critic, and chef, well, maybe not chef, but everything else, all in one marvelous person. I didn't know what I wanted to call him.   
Finally from the depths of my memory, came a word I don't know how I knew, but it sounded right. "Father," it barely came out as a whisper, "I think of you as a father."  
"Ah," Darien sighed, "I'm not sure to be relived or upset for you." His voice dropped, "And your mother?"  
This caused some thought too. I had one fleeting memory of anything resembling a mother. I was in a basket of some sort, being carried down a long passage. A woman and a man, I had assumed to be my mother and Darien, were talking, it seemed to be about something of grave importance involving me. That's all I could remember. Of course, I'd invented numerous fantasies to explain where my mother had gone and why she left me. Most of them were, if not impossible, quite improbable.   
One was where she was an astronaut and she had to go on a space ship to some distant star to search for life near it. Another where she was being exciled to another country. Yet a third one, this one I didn't like as much and was suggested by Surka, was that she was a murderer, what'd you expect, this is SURKA, and she was being sentenced to death by electric chair. The one I liked most was where she was a spy for a secret organization who was going to save the world.   
But I felt terribly stupid admitting this to Darien, or anyone else. Surka was the only one to know of my little reveries. In each one, though, she must have died, or else she would have come back. How could a mother just leave and forget about her baby? Naturally, having parents who didn't care herself, Surka pointed out that it wasn't THAT hard, but I clung to my day dreams. The idea that my mother hadn't wanted me was way too much for me to take.   
"She's dead." I said at last. As if to accent this morbid thought, the smell of badly burnt cookies hit my nose. Darien and I both cringed as Darien got up to get his chocolate chip rocks, I mean cookies. After setting out the bits of molten cookie dough to cool, Darien sat back down in front of me, trying to seem as it nothing had happened.   
"Okay, enough stalling, I should tell you this straight. Your mother is not dead. At least not as far as I know." A panic stricken look crossed my face as Darien rushed to explain. "No, it's not like that. She really loved you, she didn't want to let you go." I swear, Darien can read minds. "I really should tell you the story from the beginning." Darien looked up at me. "Your mother was Zoicite."  
I gasped in surprise, "What? How cold you…? How could she…?" Darien cut me off with a finger to my lips. "Shush and just listen. Your father is Malachite. He's also a worker of the Negaverse, like Zoicite. Zoicite and Malachite fell in love, although Queen Beryl forbid any affection at all, and they…ah…well…you know….and sorta had you. Of course, covering it up was a nightmare. But they loved you and wouldn't let Beryl kill you. So they gave you to me. And they had to act as if nothing had happened and if they were sent to attack me, or even you, they had to go. There was no choice."  
I sighed as I felt a trickle of water run down my cheek. "Goddess, that's go sad." Then the full impact of what he'd said hit me. Darien wasn't my father. My mother loved me! And my parents were my enemies. Oh Goddess! I could never see them again, except for to fight them. I broke down crying. I felt Darien's reassuring hands hold me and his soothing voice in my ear. That was when I know that everything was gonna be all right.   



	3. Chapter Two, Part One: A Second Encounte...

Chapter Two: Part I: A Second Encounter  
That night I had the dream again, but this time, Zoicite was almost fighting Malachite to come save me and as I faded away, I heard a mothering voice echoing around me.   
When I awoke, I found Haruka by me bed. "You're gorgeous when you sleep." She murmured.  
"Oh, thanks."  
"C'mere, sit up." I did so and noticed that the sun had already risen, at least an hour before. Haruka picked up a hair brush and started playing with my hair. "So he told you?" Haruka's long beautiful fingers quickly worked through my hair.  
"Yes, he did. I guess it makes sense." I wanted to fall into her arms ad sob and tell her that I had always thought of her as my mother and I loved her. But I couldn't, I was afraid she would think I was strange. Haruka pulled my head into her lap and bent down to kiss my nose.  
"Can I tell you a secret?" She whispered in my ear. I nodded. "I love you. You're like a younger sister, or even a daughter, to me." She murmured.  
"Now this would be an interesting place to interrupt." Haruka and I looked up to see Darien leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed on his chest.  
"Ah, hi Darien." I tried my best not to sound annoyed with his intrusion. Haruka sat me up and got to her feet. "What do you want?" She walked over to him, her body only the smallest bit smaller than his did, and stood in front of him, hands on her hips.   
"Your girlfriend is coming over pretty soon to make breakfast." Darien always called Michuru "Haruka's girlfriend," although it was quite close to the truth.   
"Oh good, so you won't ruin it." Haruka had relaxed her stance. I got up and walked over to Darien.   
"Good morning." I said as I hugged him.  
"Good morning darling." He leaned down to kiss the top of my head as he returned my embrace.  
Darien started down stairs and Haruka and I followed. Michuru was already in the kitchen by the time we got there. "Good morning," she greeted us, looking up from her waffles. "They'll be done in just a minute." She gestured towards the waffle iron.  
I went over to the counter and poured my self a cup of coffee. I dumped sugar into it and swirled the deep brown liquid absently with a fork. The clatter of dished brought me back to my senses. A plate of steaming waffles had been set in front of me. Just realizing I was hungry, I began devouring them.   
For a few moments no one spoke. A pervasive quiet has settled over the room. For a moment I imagined that we were an actual family. Zoicite, Malechite, and Queen Beryl had never existed and Haruka was my sister and Michuru my mother.   
All of a sudden, Rini burst through the door. "Need…help!" She panted. It took her a bit to catch her breath, but once she did she quickly explained. "Serena is trapped by Zoicite. She needs help!"  
"So?" Haruka had never liked Serena much and wasn't about to leave a nice breakfast to go save her.  
"Haruka, we should go help her." Michuru said.  
"No, we shouldn't. She has never helped us. She has even been our enemy. We share nothing, we owe her nothing. She is but a sniveling crybaby who couldn't hold her own if she had to. Maybe the world would be better if she was distroyed!" I knew Haruka didn't like Serena much, but I never thought she'd wish death upon her.  
"She came to save Darien." I murmured.  
"What?" Haruka looked up, rather startled.  
"She came to try to save Darien." I said again. Haruka sighed.  
"I guess we can go help her." She said, a hint of exasperation in her voice.  
"Oh thank you!" Sqeaked Rini, "Follow me!" The three of us, Haruka, Michuru, and I, followed the little pink haired child, Haruka muttering incoherently the whole way, until we reached a small square. Serena was slumped down on the ground and Zoicite was doing her evil work again.  
My change was easier and faster this time and in seconds I found myself, once again, in the little orchid skirt. "Veyl Shooting Stars!" I screamed, at the same time Haruka and Michuru, now in their sailor scout alter-egos, shouted their attacks. Five throwing stars appeared in my hand. I chose one and threw it at Zoicite. At that exact same time, Zoicite turned around and saw me. Then she saw the now fire engulfed star. A second too late. The thing hit her right on the chest and she fell backwards, a huge gash opened along her middle. The evil woman turned and ran, but not before my second star had been released. This one skimmed right down her back, from her right shoulder blade to her left hip. This slash was burnt black from the flames on the star and I heard the woman scream in agony as it left it's bloody trail.   
Then I realized what I had done. This woman was my mother. And I had just given her injuries that could end her life. I might have just killed my mother. I fell to my knees sobbing. Haruka knelt down next to me and pulled a strand of hair out of my face. I put my arms around her neck. "Oh goddess. I might have just killed her." I pulled away to look Haruka in the face. "I might have just killed my mother!" I half screamed half cried. I continued sobbing incoherently for a few minutes. Then Michuru shook me.   
"Hey, Gazze." I looked up at her. "You didn't kill you. These Negaverse people seem to just regenerate their bodies. That's why your hair wouldn't cut."  
"She's right ya know." Haruka added. "They are rather hard to kill. A couple of throwing stars shouldn't even phase them." My crying quieted and I wiped my eyes. I can't even start to explain my relief at finding that she would be okay. Then Darien pulled up in his cool little car.  
"Hey you guys. Get in here!" Darien called. We all seemed to have forgotten Serena. Not for long.  
"What about me?!" Serena had just come back to her senses and was sitting dazed on the ground. Rini was standing next to her, looking worried.  
"Oh, you'll be fine in an hour or so." Called Haruka, getting into the car. Michuru and I followed. I spent the ride home thinking about my parents, ignoring the chatter going on between the three adults. Once we got home, I went upstairs to do my homework and think  



	4. Chapter Two, Part Two: Poor Poor Zoicite

Chapter Two: Part II: Poor, Poor Zoicite  
Zoicite, Malachite, Jadeite, and Nephrite sat around a small room. Jadeite lounged across a chair. Malachite sat on a love seat with Zoicite's head in his lap, absently fingering her hair. Nephrite was sitting cross-legged on the floor. He was working on what seemed like a small rug. Zoicite was crying.   
"I don't see why I have to fight her!" The brown haired woman sobbed.  
"Do you want Bitchyl to find out about her?" Malachite's voice was strong, but it quivered a bit.  
"I think it was just a stupid thing for both of you to do." Jadeite, although not surprised with Zoicite and Malachite's relationship, didn't approve of it. And he certainly thought that they shouldn't have let it go that far.  
"I wish Nephrite hadn't told you." Malachite muttered at Jadeite.  
"And you'd better be nice, or I'll tell!" Jadeite wasn't at all one to make empty threats.  
"Jadeite, you're such a Bitch's pet," Nephrite said, looking up from his work.  
"Quiet, knitting boy."   
"It's crocheting!" Nephrite turned a deep shade of crimson and sort of shrank down, continuing to crochet.   
"It's old lady's work anyway." Jadeite continued.   
"Would you just shut up?" Zoicite shouted.  
"Can you spell PMS?" Jadeite muttered to himself. Zoicite shot him a venomous glare and he was quiet. All of a sudden, there was a loud squeal and a harsh voice told the group to report to Queen Beryl.  
"Here we go again," Nephrite sighed, as he gathered up his crocheting and stood. Zoicite had a look of utter terror on her down-turned face.   
Whether Zoicite had always walked slowly or if it was just because this meeting probably concerned the murder of her daughter cannot be told, but in any case, she was awfully slow walking to the chamber. Malachite dropped back to talk to her.  
"You've gotta quit moping. It's a dead give away."  
"I know, but I don't want to have anything to do with fighting her.  
"There's nothing you can do about it. You can't quit."  
"I know that!" The short woman retorted, "If that was an option, wouldn't I have done it by now!"  
"If only, if only the little bird cried." Malachite sighed.  
"Must you get all poetic on me now?"  
"If it will make you feel better."  
"Perhaps it will."  
The huge meeting chamber was ghastly silent. The four kneeled before a horribly ugly woman. Queen Beryl. It was a blessing that they had to bow; Zoicite's cheeks were bright red and tear streaked.  
"Some of you haven't been working up to your usual standards." Beryl's voice, although not as ugly as her, was not at all pleasing to listen to. Malachite stood up.  
"I would like to make an apology on behalf of this group for the-"  
"Sit down!" Beryl bellowed. Malachite shrank back down and was silent. "Now, as I was saying. Some of your work has not been up to cut. Zoicite, stand up." Zoicite stood and faced Beryl. "Your cheeks are red, why?"  
"I, uh, got in a fight." Zoicite trembled. She had never been a very good liar and all the things whirring through her head didn't make it any easier.  
"A fight?" Beryl saw right through the façade. "With whom?"  
"One of the Sailor Scouts." Zoicite said, softly.  
"A Sailor Scout," Beryl turned the idea over in her mind. Even if the girl was lying, this might not be the time to expose it. The liar would be tangled in her web soon enough. "Zoicite, your performance has not been good recently. Your past two missions have been failures. You have hardly fought. And against the newest, weakest Sailor Scout too. Pitiful. Can you explain yourself?"  
"Ma'am, I have been quite sick and I am weak. Although I know that is not an acceptable excuse, it is all I can say. I will improve my performance."  
"Good. You are correct, that is not an excuse and if you work doesn't improve…" Beryl didn't need to finish, they all knew the consequences of poor work.  
Zoicite knelt back down and Beryl motioned Malachite to stand. "Your performance, although slightly less embarrassing, is still quite poor. What have you to say for yourself?"  
"Nothing ma'am. There is no excuse for my behavior. I shall accept any reprimand you choose for me."  
"You are correct, but you have overlooked something I have not. It is a general's duty to look after his followers, if it not?"  
"Yes, ma'am it is."  
"And, if I am not sorely mistaken, you are the general, correct?"  
"Yes, I am."  
"Zoicite was sick and you looked after her."  
"Yes." Malachite agreed, going along with Zoicite's lie.  
"Then there is no mistake in your duties."  
"Well, I s'pose not."  
"Good, then sit down. Jedite?" Malachite knelt and Jedite took his place before Beryl. "You have been doing well. Although a bit sloppy. I've nothing more to say to you. Nephrite, stand." Jedite took his cue to kneel and shot a mocking smile at Zoicite. "Nephrite, Nephrite, Nephrite," Beryl shook her head sadly, "You've been the worst o all. Out of your three missions, you've completed one and that was a failure. I am very disappointed with you. You're liable to face the same fate as the one I am threatening upon Zoicite. Do you understand?"  
"Yes ma'am," Nephrite replied, head bowed.  
"Good then, I shall be expecting better reports next time," Beryl's face was stone, showing no emotion, "Dismissed." The four stood and filed out, in the same order as they had come in. Once outside of the chamber, Zoicite breathed a long sigh of relief.  
"You didn't die, congratulations," Nephrite clapped Zoicite on the shoulder.  
"Go away!" Zoicite's voice was icy cold and her eyes were threatening to overflow again. Nephrite ran to catch up with Malachite and Jedite, leaving Zoicite to her misery.  
When they got to the common room, Zoicite claimed a headache and retired to her bed. "What's her problem?" Jedite exclaimed once she was out of earshot.   
"I'm not quite sure," Malachite admitted, "Something to do with you-know-who." Jedite threw his hands into the air.  
"Why couldn't you have stayed away from each other? Just kept your hormones under control?"   
"Have you ever been in love Jedite?" Malachite asked.  
"Someone…love…. Jedite?" Nephrite snickered.  
"Quiet Nephrite. I'll have you know I've had plenty of crushes."  
"No, I mean true, unconditional love," Malachite explained.  
"Well…sort of, but…."  
"But what?" Nephrite pried.  
"She doesn't love me back," Jedite sighed dejectedly.  
"Who?"  
"You don't need to know that!"  
"C'mon Jedite!"  
"You know, I'm sorta tired, I think I'll just go to bed."  
"Hold it Jedite, you're not getting away that easy!" Malachite stood as if to block the door.  
"Not 'till you tell us who." Chimed Nephrite.  
"I-I can't"  
"Why?"  
"You'll laugh at me."  
"No we won't." Nephrite sounded like a second grader being left alone in a room of cookies and promising not to eat any.  
"Yes you will."  
"Is it someone we know?"  
"Well, yeah."  
"Someone we like?"  
"Uh…prob'ly not."  
"Zoicite?" Suggested Nephrite. Malachite hit him hard. "Yeowch! What was that for?"   
"I happen to like Zoicite!" Malachite shouted.  
"Hence our problem." Jedite interjected and immediately wished he hadn't.  
"Back to you mister," Malachite turned to Jedite," About your crush," he thought for a moment," Beryl!" Jedite shrank down and nodded ever so slightly.  
"Beryl! You like QUEEN BERYL!" Nephrite was amazed.  
"Uhm, uh, yeah, sorta."   
"Figures," muttered Nephrite.  
"Now, if you don't mind," Jedite walked out the door and down the hall to his room, Malachite and Nephrite's laughter echoing behind him.  
  
  



	5. Chapter Three, Part One: A New Enemy

Chapter 3: Part I: A New Enemy   
  
When I awoke, it was still dark. I got up and wondered why Darien wasn't awake. I walked about the house a bit, got a cup of coffee, read a little, and finally realized that it was 5:30 in the morning on a Saturday. Figures. Of course, I couldn't go back to sleep, so I scribbled a note to Darien, grabbed my keys, and left. I didn't really have a plan or anywhere to go, if there was anything open at the hour. I walked out but all the little shops, some just opening, some shooing people away from the night's business.   
I stopped at a little coffee shop in a nice, tree-lined square. It was nearly empty, save the guy at the counter and two girls, who looked no older than twelve. I took a seat near the girls, wondering why they were here and if their parents knew, and started eating my bagel. It was rather quiet and I couldn't help but overhear the girls' conversation.   
"We have to find the new one and get rid of her."   
"Or Beryl will have our heads."   
"But we have no description."   
"You dolt. We don't need a description. Newly opened star crystals have ways of making themselves known."   
"Oh. So we just have to walk about looking for a sign, but we don't know what it is. Yeah, some help."   
"Shush, Beryl wouldn't have sent us if it was impossible."   
"Wanna bet?"   
"We'll find her and once we do, it's curtains."   
The whole thing was very interesting, but it seemed evil. Killing people and all. And I didn't know what a star crystal was or why it was so important, but I could ask Darien later. When I left, it was only six, but more things were open. The sun had finished rising and there was a cool breeze that fluttered the ends of my hair. I couldn't quite seem to feel at ease after my little run-in. I walked about to a bit, trying to shake the uneasy feeling that someone was following me.   
At nine-thirty I figured Darien would be up, so I went home. Darien was sitting on the couch, reading the newspaper. I sat down and leaned my head on his shoulder.   
"What's a star crystal?" I asked.   
"A star crystal is what gives a Sailor Scout her power. If you take it from one, she'll die. Next to the Silver Inperium Crystal, they're the most powerful things in the universe. Why?"   
"I was at the coffee shop and I heard two girls talking about having to find someone with a newly opened star crystal and kill her. And…" I felt Darien's shoulder tense.   
"Kill?" I nodded. "Gazze, I think they mean you."   
  
~ * * ~   
  
"KILL! What do you mean they're gonna kill her!?" Haruka was storming, her short blonde hair flying with every fling of her head.   
"They're going to steal her star crystal. They seem to think she's weak."   
"Oh, but she's not. They'll find that out quick." There was a note of malice in Haruka's voice.   
"We can't help her though. She has to prove that she can fight by herself."   
"Darien! What if she dies!"   
"If she…" Darien couldn't finish. He loved me too much to let me be killed.   
"If I what?" I had been sitting at the top of the stairs, listening, and chose that moment to make my presence known. "If I die because I'm not strong enough? I'll just have to make sure I'm strong enough then."   
"I'm going with you," Haruka insisted.   
"No, Darien's right. I have to do this on my own."   
"You two are forgetting that they may attack her anywhere. You can't just follow her about Haruka."   
"Ah, but if I am there when they attack, you can't deny me fighting."   
"But only if I get in big trouble."   
"You set high stakes."   
I nodded and turned to go back upstairs. I threw myself upon the bed and started digging though my bookshelf. I pulled out the book I'd been looking for, Sailor V's Guide to Evil Monsters and Villians. I'd gotten the book for a birthday or some such thing and had, at the time, considered it pointless and valued it only for it's wonderful illistrations. All sorts of evil looking daimuns, spirits, and faeries. I had just looked through it for pleasure, but now I was flipping though the pages looking for something. Ah! Moon spirits.   
"Moon spirits," I read aloud, "are usually found in the form of little girls. Their destinguishing feature is their impossibly long hair done in intracete patterns. No one is quite sure where they come from. They are also known for fighting with coloured balls of pure energy." I stopped, this wasn't going to be of much help. I sighed. I'd just have to go unprepared.


	6. Chapter Three, Part Two: The Oh So Myste...

Chapter Three: Part Two: The Mysterious Little Girls  
  
I might add that I didn't know when the girls were going to attack me, although it should have been rather obvious some places. Here's what happened:  
I was walking home from school a few days after the whole death discussion and for some bizarre reason, I decided to go by way of a back alley. I was an act of sheer stupidity and I'm not entirely sure why I did it. Perhaps I was sick of hiding. I don't know.  
Anyway, the girls jumped me. The older reached my shoulder, but was stronger than she looked. She grabbed me, shoved me into a wall, then slapped my head against it.  
"Damn," I muttered, then I screamed. I was pinned to the all with four spheres. They were three colours of green, all swirling about, like the swells of an ocean. I remember I thought they were pretty. I didn't know that they were to aid in my doom. There as a piercing scream, my own, and I felt something leave me as my body went limp.  
I felt myself rising above the girls, though they obviously couldn't see me and I sort of floated in mid-air. I saw the girls make a mirror appear from my chest. Just as the younger one was about to shove her hand into it, Haruka ripped into the alley on her motorcycle, a slightly perturbed Michuru clinging onto her.   
Haruka jumped off the motorcycle and grabbed the girl digging around in my mirror, screaming something, although I couldn't hear what. Actually, I couldn't hear anything, I guess it was a side effect of leaving my body. I realize now how cool it was, to be just floating there watching the world, I wish I could do it on command.  
Anyway, while Haruka was wrestling the little girl away from my mirror, Michuru had time to transform. She blasted the girls away with some water spout thing, I couldn't tell just what, and I fell back into my body.  
"Oof," I muttered, my neck and back were blasting with pain and I was sitting in a mud puddle. I don't remember exactly what happened next, but somehow I found myself standing up. I was so exhausted and so sore, it was all I could do to stumble onto the motorcycle between Haruka and Michi. As we sped through the city, I felt myself becoming drowsy. The drone of a motorcycle, something which normally wakes people, has always been one of the few things that could put me to sleep against my will.  
I vaguely remember being carried into the house in Darien's strong arms and having a warm, syrupy liquid poured over me and rubbed into my body with Haruka's soft touch. They I slept, a sleep beyond dreams.  
I woke to see Haruka's deep blue eyes staring into mine.  
"I thought you'd left us for sure. We were scared." Haruka's fingers twirled around my disheveled bangs. I tried to speak, but couldn't get my voice to make the sounds. Haruka's hand slid down my cheek and rested there. It always surprised me how soft her hands were, with her being a motorcyclist and all. "You need your rest, go back to sleep." She took her thumbs and lightly pushed my eyelids down. Again, I slept. 


End file.
